My views on the G1 are both filled with excitement and disappointment based on what I saw from the launch webcast and gathered across the internet. The first Android mobile phone had the potential to be a runaway hit after its September 23rd launch, and rightfully so.
The G1 with Android as its driver was a match made in heaven. That 3.7-inch screen was the centerpiece of the hardware, and nothing beats a phone with a good screen.
What Is Hot
The OS was no doubt the selling point of the G1, even with the notable absence of Bluetooth file transfer. Being open source and Linux-based meant competing platforms were getting hit from multiple directions at once.
Input options were a welcome addition. A true touchscreen phone that isn’t limited to finger input was something people had been asking for. The trackball and physical QWERTY keyboard gave users real choices. Most of us have a preferred method, and plenty of people would rather not use a touchscreen for high-tempo typing.
Google Maps Street View on the G1 appeared even more impressive than its desktop counterpart, with 360-degree compass navigation taking things to another level.
Wi-Fi and 3G were locked, loaded, and ready. A smartphone without those in 2008 was simply not competitive, and the G1 had both covered.
What Is Bad
The design was not the G1’s strong suit.
The absence of Bluetooth file transfer was a known omission going into launch, but still a disappointment. The hope was that Android 1.5 or 2.0 would address it quickly.
No 3.5mm headphone jack was a frustrating oversight that left a lot of people wanting.
Launching without Flash support was another gap. It wasn’t critically important on the mobile web at that moment, but the expectation was that it would matter soon enough. An Adobe Android release couldn’t come fast enough.
Those were just a few of the early pros and cons with the G1. The hope was that other OHA members would do better on the hardware front going forward. But because the G1 ran Android, that alone was a compelling reason to get one. Combining open source with a growing developer community, the platform would only improve over time. Welcome to the Android show.
